New to loaches...couple ??

[Brendainnj]

I have just acquired 3 yoyo loaches and love them! But I have been reading conflicting reports now & hope I haven't made a mistake . Most people (at least on other forums) said that they are usually only aggressive towards other fish if they are kept singly. But the more I read, it seems they become more aggressive as they get older/bigger? Mine seem so happy go lucky...hard to picture them as fish-devouring predators! They currently share a 46g bowfront w/6 cories (they pal around w/them) and 1 dwarf gourami. We plan to add a school of something & possibly a blue ram later.

Also, do they pal around w/other dwarf loaches, or do they prefer their own? The zebra loaches look really cool but not sure if I can get them locally. I might add more at a later date, but it sure gets expensive when every fish you like recommends 6 or more .

Thank you!

[Loachloach]

This is from vague memory reading about loaches but weren't yoyos the ones that like eating cory eyes.
I may well be wrong here but just want to mention before it's too late if it's true.

[Brendainnj]

Wow, thanks for the cheery welcome! I was hoping to hear from someone w/firsthand knowledge about these guys...thought this would be the place to ask. Not sure if they're a bad choice as no one has responded. They are settling in, though they spend much more time apart now than when I brought them home. Wondering if I should pick up a couple more...or is that asking for more trouble? They're not cheap in my area either (eastern US).

[bookpage]

Welcome to the list. There are only a few people that reply to questions and they are not on every day.

Have you read this: http://www.loaches.com/species-index/botia-almorhae

Also, you can do a google search for "yoyo fish" and get several sites with info on yoyos. You do not say how big your tank is. Yoyos can get of to 6" and the foot print of the tank has a lot to do with how many bottom dwellers can be put into a tank. I have mostly loaches in my tank and that is why I do not have any corys.

Good luck with your fish and tank.

[Brendainnj]

Thanks, my tank is a 46g bowfront so I guess I really can't add any more (according to AqAdvisor, 2 more would put me to 80% stock). I actually was under the impression that most stay around 4". So many sites, so much conflicting information .

[Diana]

Yoyos can be a bit pushy toward other fish, Loaches or others.
They can be predatory toward anything that fits in their mouth.

These 2 traits are not the same thing.

I think 3 is all you can handle in a 46 bowfront. Something big enough not to get eaten for the middle to upper part of the tank should be good, that is a tall tank, without as much space on the floor.
The larger Gouramis such as Pearl or Moonlight would be OK. Just one, though. Gouramis get territorial toward other Gouramis.

[TrebleClef84]

I have 2 Yoyos in a 90 gallon tank, and they school with the other 6 botias in the tank. There's a reason why they are named Bold and Italics...

Bold is the largest fish in the tank (and the alpha), but also one of the shyest. She hides in her cave all day and comes out around mealtimes. She'll chase (maybe nip at) anyone that gets near her during food time, and most fish that go in her cave don't end up staying in there long, but she isn't outright vicious.

Italics has always been sweet and sociable. I've never seen him chase or nip at another fish, and he's usually out picking around most of the day.

So it really depends on the space they have in the tank, the number of hiding spots they have, the fish's individual personality, and who else is in the tank with them. I have a couple of kubotais in the tank that were about an inch long a couple of months ago, and no one bothered them. That being said, I have no doubt that if I stuck a baby neon tetra in the tank, I don't imagine it would last 5 minutes. Diana is right; anything they can fit into their mouths they will eat.

I have a couple of zebras in my tiny school, and the yoyos hang out with them as well. This may be because I only have 2 zebras instead of a 1-species school, but they are far nippier than the yoyos ever were.